


A Repeal and A Future

by ravenangel



Series: Building a Life Series [5]
Category: Generation Kill
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-26 07:07:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3841702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenangel/pseuds/ravenangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brad is in Afghanistan a week away from heading home, when word of DADT being repealed comes down.  Wishes and dreams may finally become real.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Repeal and A Future

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the HBO miniseries Generation Kill. Nothing is mine and nothing is associated with any of the real people, I'm just here to borrow the characters. No harm intended and all mistakes are my own. This is another tale in the Waiting to Breathe verse.

A Repeal and A Future

 

Nate was in a meeting when DADT was overturned and signed out of law.  Ray and Walt were in Virginia, and Brad was in the final week of his deployment in Afghanistan.

December 22, 2010 marked the beginning of hope for all of them. Hope that hiding would soon be unnecessary, at least where their respective partnerships were concerned, the four of them together would still not be public, but they preferred it that way.

Ray and Walt watched as the President spoke about the importance of this day and then watched as he signed the repeal of DADT into law. They sat there stunned. For 7 years they had quietly been together as had Nate and Brad, for 6 years they'd been a poly couple, and suddenly with the stroke of a pen they were on their way to no longer being a threat to Brad's career.

"Holy shit." Ray whispered, "The fucking hippy communists pulled it off..."

Walt smiled tentatively, "It's almost over. All they have to do is unfuck the UCMJ and Brad and Nate are in the clear."

Ray snickered, "who knows how long that will take? Those fuckers can't do anything quickly."

.....

Nate got back to his office and turned his computer on, while he waited for it to power up he checked his phone for messages a little thrown to see there were 20 voice mails and another 10 text messages.  

He started with the texts a little concerned as 3 were from Ray.

Nate pick up your phone, they fucking did it. They actually pulled it off.

Nate call us.

Lt did your fucking boss eat you? This is huge call us.

Nate looked at his phone and Ray's messages a little confused and moved on to Poke's text 

Congrats Dog.  Will there be a wedding when the Iceman gets back?

Nate almost dropped his phone, quickly pulling up the news on his computer fully aware he missed something huge.

The next message was from Mike

Congrats I hope y'all are happy with the news. Check in when you can.

Nate actually did drop his phone as the headline on his computer shouted the repeal of DADT. He knew it was being discussed, but he hadn't believed they could pull it off.

It was moments like this he desperately wished Brad was stateside. They'd been together 7 years with nobody but family and close friends knowing the truth about them.  Finally as soon as they fixed the UCMJ they wouldn't have to hide anything.

Nate pulled the framed picture out of his desk, it was one that Ray and Walt had taken years ago but was still one of his favorites. He ran his thumb over Brad whispering, "I wish you were home for this. God I miss you."

....

Brad just got back to base from a patrol with his team.  He headed to the mess for chow meeting up with a few of the other NCO, and SNCO's.  They were all bitching about changes that would be coming down the pipeline.  Sergeant Marks called, "Hey Iceman did you hear this shit? They're going to let fags in the Corps now."

Brad raised an eyebrow, "What the fuck are you talking about Marks?"

Marks scoffed, "The President just killed DADT says fags should be allowed to serve openly. Can you fucking believe it?"

Brad kept a carefully neutral face in place, "Well Marks if the rest of us can get our asses shot off why shouldn't they be able to if they want?"

A few of the other guys laughed and agreed with Brad. 

Christensen laughed, "Hey as long as they can cover a sector and do their job, who the fuck cares."

Brad sat long enough to eat and then cut out, needing to be alone.

Christensen met up with Brad on his way to his rack. "You ok Gunny?"

Brad smirked, "I'm fine Sergeant it's been a long few days out there and I'm looking to crash while I can."

Brad hit his rack, as exhaustion flooded him.  He knew most of the guys didn't give a fuck about gay or not but it still rankled that a few of these assholes who weren't able to keep up with him somehow felt that they were better than him just by the fact they were straight.  _Fuck em.  It will be nice to finally not have to worry that the wrong asshole will find out and tank my career._

Brad lay there looking at the ceiling and thought of Nate. They'd been together 7 years and no one was the wiser. He thought of all the hopes they had that maybe one day they could be open, maybe even get married.  In less than two weeks he'd be home with Nate and they could celebrate, hell maybe he'd finally just bite the bullet and ask.  It wouldn't take too long to clear up the UCMJ issues hopefully.  

Brad carefully pulled out a picture from his flak jacket. He ran a thumb over Nate's smiling face.  _Fuck I miss you. I wish I was there with you for this._   After one last quick look Brad put the picture away counting the days until he was stateside, and then the week he'd have to wait before he'd be on leave.  


End file.
